The Hanafiyyah School is the first of the four orthodox Sunni Schools of Law. It
distinguishes itself from the other schools by according less authority to oral
traditions as a source of legal procedure. Contrarily, it developed the exegesis of
the Koran through a method of analogical reasoning known as Qiyas which
necessitated a careful study of actual conditions in legal thinking. Furthermore, it
established the principle that agreements of the Ummah (community) of Islam
concerning a specific point in the Islam law codex, as represented by legal and
religious Scholars, constituted evidence of the will of God. This process is
referred to as Ijma', which means the consensus of the scholars. Thus, the school
definitively established the Koran and its resulting principles known as Ijma' and
Qiyas as the basis of Islamic law. In addition to these, Hanafi accepted local
customs as a secondary source of the law.

Hanafiyyah

Doctrines

The Hanafiyyah school is the first of the four orthodox Sunni schools of law. It is distinguished from the other schools through its placing less reliance on mass oral traditions as a source of legal knowledge. It developed the exegesis of the Qur'an through a method of analogical reasoning known as Qiyas (see Sunni Islam). It also established the principle that the universal concurrence of the Ummah (community) of Islam on a point of law, as represented by legal and religious scholars, constituted evidence of the will of God. This process is called ijma', which means the consensus of the scholars. Thus, the school definitively established the Qur'an, the Traditions of the Prophet, ijma' and qiyas as the basis of Islamic law. In addition to these, Hanafi accepted local customs as a secondary source of the law.

The Hanafi School of Law was founded by Nu'man Abu Hanifah (699 - 766) in Kufa in what is today Iraq. It derived from the bulk of the ancient school of Kufa and absorbed the ancient school of Basra. Abu Hanifah lived in the period of the successors of the Sahabah (the companions of the Prophet). The Hanafi School

was favoured by the first 'Abbasid caliphs in spite of the school's opposition to
the power of the caliphs because it had originated in Iraq.
The privileged position which the school enjoyed under the 'Abbasid caliphate
was lost with the decline of the 'Abbasid caliphate. However, the rise of the
Ottoman Empire led to the revival of Hanafi fortunes.

History

The Hanafi school of law was founded by Nu'man Abu Hanifah (d.767) in Kufa in Iraq. It derived from the bulk of the ancient school of Kufa and absorbed the ancient school of Basra. Abu Hanifah belonged to the period of the successors (tabiin)of the Sahabah (the companions of the Prophet). He was a Tabi'i since he had the good fortune to have lived during the period when some of the Sahabah were still alive. Having originated in Iraq, the Hanafi school was favoured by the first 'Abbasid caliphs in spite of the school's opposition to the power of the caliphs.

The privileged position which the school enjoyed under the 'Abbasid caliphate was lost with the decline of the 'Abbasid caliphate. However, the rise of the Ottoman empire led to the revival of Hanafi fortunes.

[Under the Ottomans,] Hanafites were appointed judge and sent from Istanbul, even to countries where the population followed another madhhab. Consequently, the Hanafi madhhab became the only authoritative code of law in the public life and official administration of justice in all the provinces of the Ottoman Empire111. Even today the Hanafi code prevails in the former Ottoman countries like Jordan. It is also dominant in Central Asia and India. There are no official figures for the number of followers of the Hanafi School of law. However, it is followed by the vast majority of people in the Muslim world.

111 Yozsef, Mousa, Abu Hanifeh , Baghdad 1982, 171ff.

Under the Ottomans the judgement-seats were occupied by Hanafites sent from Istanbul, even in countries where the population followed another madhhab. Consequently, the Hanafi madhhab became the only authoritative code of law in the public life and official administration of justice in all the provinces of the Ottoman empire. Even today the Hanafi code prevails in the former Ottoman countries. It is also dominant in Central Asia and India.

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Adherence

There are no official figures for the number of followers of the Hanafi school of law. It is followed by the vast majority of people in the Muslim world.